Worker dies in fall at Formosa Texas plant

A subcontractor died April 22 after falling 25 feet during routine cleaning operations at a Formosa Plastics Corp. USA facility in Point Comfort, Texas.

According to a statement from the company, the incident occurred around midday at the Formosa Plastics Corp. Texas Specialty PVC Unit.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Christoper Adames, 26, was on a catwalk cleaning a suspension PVC resin tank when he fell into the tank. Attempts to revive Adames at the scene were unsuccessful and an autopsy and investigation are pending, said Lt. Rusty Henderson in the sheriff’s office.

Adames was apparently not wearing a harness to prevent falls, but because the catwalk had a railing, he may not have been required to do so.

Accidents and fines are unfortunately not rare at Formosa’s Texas facility.

Five people were injured in a fire last September at Formosa’s high density polyethylene resin plant in Point Comfort. Earlier this month, the company was fined $15,755 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for federal Clean Air Act violation. Formosa failed to prevent more than 2,066 pounds of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) from being released in 2011.